1879.] J. H. Rivett-Camae — TJie Snake Symbol in India. 27 



in the Benares Brass Bazaar of to-day — many hundreds of miles away from 

 Nagpiir where these Valentines were drawn. I am in correspondence with 

 Mr. J. W. Neill on the subject, and hope to send some further information 

 regarding the meaning of what may certainly be said to be these curious 

 pictures of the Cobra. I shall be interested to learn how far their character 

 may be considered by those, who are competent to judge on this subject, 

 to connect them with the worship of Mahadeo ? 



I have now to state briefly the direction in which I would desire that 

 these imperfect notes should be considered to lead. As the Society know, 

 I have for some time past been endeavouring to collect information on the 

 points of resemblance between the tumuli of India and the well known 

 types of Scandinavia, of Brittany and of the British Isles. In my paper 

 on the Kumaon Bock markings, besides noting the resemblance between 

 the cup markings of India and of Europe, I hazarded the theory that the 

 concentric circles and certain curious markings of what some have called the 

 " jews-harp" type, so common in Europe, are traces of Pballic worship, 

 carried there by tribes whose hosts descended into India, pushed forward 

 into the remotest corners of Europe and as their traces now seem to 

 suggest, found their way on to the American Continent also. 



Whether these markings really ever were intended to represent the 

 Phallus and the Yoni, must always remain a matter of opinion. But I 

 have no reason to be dissatisfied with the reception with which this, to 

 many somewhat unpleasant, theory has met in some of the Antiquarian 

 Societies of Europe. 



No one who compares the stone Yonis of Benares, sent herewith, 

 with the engravings on the first page of the work on the rock mark- 

 ings of Northumberland and Argyleshire, published privately by the 

 Duke of Northumberland, President of the Newcastle Society of Anti- 

 quaries, which is also sent for the inspection of the Society, will deny 

 that there is an extraordinary resemblance between the conventional sym- 

 bol of Siva worship of to-day and the ancient markings on the rocks, men- 

 hirs and cromlechs of Northumberland, of Scotland, of Ireland, of Brittany, 

 of Scandinavia and other parts of Europe. 



And a further examination of the forms of the cromlechs and tumuli 

 and menhirs will suggest that the tumuli themselves were intended to 

 indicate the symbols of the Mahadeo and yoni, conceived in no obscene 

 sense, but as representing regeneration, the new life, " life out of death, 

 life everlasting," which those buried in the tumuli, facing towards the sun 

 in its meridian, were expected to enjoy in the hereafter. Professor Stephens, 

 the well known Scandinavian Antiquary, writing to me recently, speaks of 

 these symbols as follows : 



